Grizz
Grizz
A recent thread regarding fore/aft location of winches, with the larger winch installed aft, raised the question "is this right?". This spurred this thread submittal, illustrating @ 3 years of thought, trial-and-error, also involving Secondary Winches.
The key to the numbers in the pics are:
epidemic rash of always untimely jib sheet overrides, usually with us on port and a starboard boat bearing down. We finally figured out the Harken fairlead would induce a preferrable angle of entry to the Primary Winch. Problem solved! Doesn't matter if the sheets are soaking wet or bone dry, they stack on the drum as they should. Haven't had an override since.
This solution led to the next item, removal of the (now unneeded) Secondary winches. The only time we used these Secondaries was to clear the aforementioned jib sheet overrides (or 'Bulgarian CF!' in our vernacular). Removal of these 2 Lewmar 43 winches (for sale, BTW, in case anyone needs), cleats and fasteners pulled 42#'s off the boat and created a flat seating surface where none previously existed, perfectly suited when aft quarter weight is needed to offset the A-sail energy. The Raptor nonskid covers the slick/bare fiberglass and gives the jib trimmers a 'comfy' knee target to grind from.
The Antal low friction ring, spliced with Dyneema and affixed to the toerail (once we figured out where and how long/short the lead should be), cleaned up, once-and-for-all, our rigging of the spin sheets. Sheets are still led to the aft turning block (as usual), but now are led forward to the Antal ring, up to the adjacent cabintop winch, then diagonally across to the opposite shroud where the spin trimmer lives.
Gone are the days of cobweb congestion of the companionway, freeing the grinder's domain. Gone also is the question "are these spin sheets led behind or in front of the mainsheet?".
There is no discernable increased friction or drag from these added components; ease is still ease, trim is still trim. "Grind!" is still yelled loudly when the kite starts to collapse...
One complication that's been addressed: if the starboard cabintop winch is occupied with a spin sheet and a douse of the kite, using the starboard spin halyard, is necessary, we now cross sheet that starboard halyard to the port side cabintop winch. This allows us to 'stretch' the kite (using the starboard cabintop winch) and 'blow' the kite (using the port side cabintop winch). There's no real load on that winch and more importantly, that clutch, even though the lead is funky for a few minutes. It's worked fine (so far!).
On to the day. Take care.
The key to the numbers in the pics are:
- Antal Low Friction Ring (not visible in the starboard picture)
- Dyneema Line
- Harken Jib Sheet Fairlead 3280
- Raptor Non Skid
This solution led to the next item, removal of the (now unneeded) Secondary winches. The only time we used these Secondaries was to clear the aforementioned jib sheet overrides (or 'Bulgarian CF!' in our vernacular). Removal of these 2 Lewmar 43 winches (for sale, BTW, in case anyone needs), cleats and fasteners pulled 42#'s off the boat and created a flat seating surface where none previously existed, perfectly suited when aft quarter weight is needed to offset the A-sail energy. The Raptor nonskid covers the slick/bare fiberglass and gives the jib trimmers a 'comfy' knee target to grind from.
The Antal low friction ring, spliced with Dyneema and affixed to the toerail (once we figured out where and how long/short the lead should be), cleaned up, once-and-for-all, our rigging of the spin sheets. Sheets are still led to the aft turning block (as usual), but now are led forward to the Antal ring, up to the adjacent cabintop winch, then diagonally across to the opposite shroud where the spin trimmer lives.
Gone are the days of cobweb congestion of the companionway, freeing the grinder's domain. Gone also is the question "are these spin sheets led behind or in front of the mainsheet?".
There is no discernable increased friction or drag from these added components; ease is still ease, trim is still trim. "Grind!" is still yelled loudly when the kite starts to collapse...
One complication that's been addressed: if the starboard cabintop winch is occupied with a spin sheet and a douse of the kite, using the starboard spin halyard, is necessary, we now cross sheet that starboard halyard to the port side cabintop winch. This allows us to 'stretch' the kite (using the starboard cabintop winch) and 'blow' the kite (using the port side cabintop winch). There's no real load on that winch and more importantly, that clutch, even though the lead is funky for a few minutes. It's worked fine (so far!).
On to the day. Take care.